Police have charged a man with a number of offences and issued 24 vehicle defect notices as part of a road safety blitz in the Illawarra.
Operation Dissent is conducted throughout the year in Wollongong and Lake Illawarra areas and targets illegally modified vehicles involved in street racing, burnouts and other traffic offences.
During a one-day blitz yesterday (Sunday 18 August 2024), officers from Illawarra Traffic and Highway Patrol, with assistance from Transport for NSW compliance inspectors, issued a number of owners with directions to attend an inspection site established in Bulli.
As a result, 26 vehicles were inspected, with 12 issued major grounding defect notices and 12 drivers were issued with notices only allowing them to drive their vehicles home.
Police also issued 69 traffic infringement notices and conducted 26 breath tests and 26 drug tests.
Two drivers were charged with drink driving offences and four drivers were charged with drug driving offences.
Thirteen vehicles failed to attend the inspection site and were referred to Transport for NSW inspectors for further action.
Of note, about 8.50am yesterday (Sunday 18 August 2024), a 20-year-old man was seen driving a Golf GTD hatchback along Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Austinmer.
A short time later, police located the man inside the car at a carpark on King Street, Thirroul, before he was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police station where he was charged with 11 offences:
- Hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty
- Carry cutting weapon upon apprehension
- Custody of a knife in a public place
- Two counts of possess prohibited drug
- Licence expired more than two years ago
- Use unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on road
- Use uninsured motor vehicle
- Use vehicle in contravention of minor defect notice
- Two counts of use Class A vehicle with unauthorised number plate affixed
He was refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court today (Monday 19 August 2024).
Investigations as part of Operation Dissent continue.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or . Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
